The Marauders' Tales
by rbrammer
Summary: James & Lily Potter have their own home in the afterlife. They exist together pleasantly, but underneath it all, both are greedily awaiting the day that someone they love passes on, so that they can have news of their son. When James feels Sirius's aura float from his body up to heaven, he pleads with Lily to go with him to the Portal to await Sirius's arrival.
1. Chapter 1

"Lily," James Potter said abruptly, sitting up. Lily Potter pursed her lips, looking as youthful as the day that she had died. She was knitting, something she did every day; knitting a sweater for Harry, or perhaps a scarf. "Lily, listen to me," James said sharply, his hazel eyes wide. Lily's knitting needles stilled, and she looked at her husband, perplexed.

"What, James?" Since they began their journey in the afterlife, she and James had long ago decided to be calm and wait for Harry to join them- though not for a very long while, they both fervently hoped. Even before their untimely deaths, James had hardly ever spoken sharply to her, and now that he had, it was extremely unsettling.

"He's gone," James said softly, searching for the emotions he knew he should feel: sadness, hopelessness, even fear, maybe, for Harry, left on Earth alone; but he felt none. All he could feel was immense relief and joy at soon being reunited with his best friend. Lily cocked her head to the side, enjoying the look of happiness on James's face, but still curious to what the cause of his joy was. James smiled, shyly at first, but it soon grew into a wide grin. "Sirius, Lily; Padfoot is gone. He's on his way, I can feel it!"

Lily sighed softly, reaching for her husband's hand. James had had a few feelings such as this one, all of them being as disappointing as the last. "James, love," she said quietly, looking into his eyes. "I don't want you to get your hopes up… The last time you felt Sirius's life-flame go out, you waited and waited… You were so sad, dear, just like the time you swore you could feel Harry's presence." Her words were exceedingly gentle, but also remonstrating.

James scowled like an angry child. "He's here, Lily," he said stubbornly. "I know; this is different than the first few times. Those were just glimpses, just maybes… This is the real thing. Sirius has joined us. Think, Lily, think! He might have news of Harry." James was playing at Lily's only weak point, and she knew it. But there was nothing in the universe she longed for more than her darling son, and she weakly agreed to go to the Portal and wait.

There were always people waiting at the Portal. It was one of the most time-honored traditions of the afterlife; waiting impatiently. Almost every soul that came through the Portal waited for their loved ones, not leaving until they were forced to realize that whoever they were waiting for was not coming, that they still had more time left among the living. James and Lily had spent months waiting at the Portal, sure that Harry was coming soon; surely, if they, fully-trained wizards who had thrice escaped Voldemort, were defeated, their son should be an easy feat for the evil wizard. Soon, though, they were forced to realize that Harry must have escaped, though they had no idea how. Once again, they were back in the crowd of lost souls watching the Portal for their loved ones.

"James," Lily said quietly, pursing her lips. "James, I… I don't think that he's coming."

James frowned, craning his neck. "He's here, Lily; he's coming," James said stubbornly, refusing to give up hope. He looked at Lily helplessly, his eyes pleading for more time. "This time, he'll be here. We just have to wait a little longer."

Lily said nothing, but captured James' hand in her own. Though she did not believe that Sirius was truly gone, she would not dash her husband's hopes like that. They waited for an hour longer, and James's shoulders drooped, a dull, careless look in his eyes. "Lily?" He asked softly, not looking at her.

"Yes, James?" Lily answered, her voice quiet and reserved.

"He isn't coming, is he?" James replied brokenly. He looked up at her, his expression one of utmost sadness. Lily sighed before embracing him, her arms wrapping around his neck tightly. "Shh, shh, love," she whispered into his neck, kissing lightly. "It will be alright, darling; Sirius and Remus will join us eventually. They will bring us news of Harry, and maybe of our grandchildren, should they live so long." She tried to grin, hoping this would bring her husband out of his low spirits.

"Grandchildren? Merlin, Lily, the boy is hardly fifteen!" exclaimed a laughing, joyous voice that neither Lily nor James had heard since days before their death.

"Padfoot!" James yelled, jumping on his best friend, hugging him fiercely. Lily grinned, happy to see the two reunite at last. James had always been restless without his friends, and Lily knew that despite his happiness at having her with him, he had always missed his friends dearly.

Sirius, his face older and gaunter than Lily remembered it being, grinned, shaking off James. "Damn, Prongs, careful! I'm nearly thirty five, aren't I?" Sirius took a good look at James, taking in his and Lily's youth, and he felt a twinge of something he didn't recognize. They were young, and he was so old. Though he didn't look nearly as old as Remus these days, and he was well recovered since his twelve years in Azkaban, he still carried traces of his age.

While Sirius inspected his friends, James and Lily did the same, though with more pity than anything. Though they could not possibly known what Sirius had been through, they knew that it could not be good. Only a glimmer of the handsome man he had been remained, and his hair, once the envy of Lily, Alice Longbottom, and Marlene McKinnon, was lank and dull. "Padfoot, mate… What's been happening down there?" James asked uncertainly, feeling a twinge of regret. If only they hadn't picked Peter…

Sirius's grin slid from his lips. "It's been hell, Prongs," he admitted, shaking his head slowly. "I've been in Azkaban for most of it, though, so you'll have to listen to second-hand news of Harry for the most part."

"AZKABAN?!" Lily and James shouted simultaneously, their eyes widening. "Why in Merlin's name were you there?" James said angrily, glaring. _Maybe Sirius _had_ been the spy…_

"Relax, mate," Sirius said grimly, sighing. "I cornered the rat after I… After I saw the wreckage," Sirius mumbled, his voice dropping to a whisper, which showed how finding his best friends' dead bodies had affected him. "He knew what I was going to do, and he shouted for the whole street to hear, 'Lily and James, Sirius? How could you?' Then he cut off his finger, blasted the whole street into bits, and transformed."

"He cut off his _finger_?" James exclaimed, while Lily only stared, openmouthed.

"The next the I knew, the Aurors were there, and I just couldn't believe the whole scenario. Twelve dead Muggles, I think, and I'm standing there, laughing my head off."

"What happened to Harry?" Lily said, her voice like steel. Her green eyes blazed, and Sirius knew she was serious.

"Hagrid took him; I volunteered, Lil, I wanted to take him, but Hagrid said Dumbledore had a plan, and I couldn't argue!" Sirius said quickly, when Lily opened her mouth to yell.

Lily gnashed her teeth, whipping her red hair out of her face. "Did Hagrid tell you where Dumbledore was taking him?" She asked, her voice dangerously quiet.

"To your sisters, to Petunia's. He did some spell or something; something to protect Harry."

Lily stiffened. Her sister? "But Petunia… Petunia _hates_ me. She hates Harry; she hates everything to do with- with our world." James took her hand, rubbing it comfortingly; he knew how much it upset her that her sister wanted nothing to do with her.

Sirius winced. "Harry… Well, this is where I have to take other peoples' words for it; this is what Molly said, and she mollycoddles the boy, so it might be an exaggeration. Molly said that when she took her sons to Platform 9 & ¾, she met a boy, about eleven, who was alone and looked rough. He was clean, mind you, but in baggy clothes, broken, taped glasses, and he was skinny. He was polite, and Molly said he looked a little frightened, though I doubt that Harry would admit that." Sirius grinned proudly, in a fatherly way that made James ache for his son, whom he still thought of as an infant.

Lily closed her eyes, imagining her darling son, all alone in a strange place. At least he would have had more warning than she, Lily, had had at the time. Sirius cleared his throat, and began speaking again. "Harry wanted to know how to get onto the platform. The poor boy knew nothing; he didn't even know he was famous!"

"Famous?" James asked uncertainly, frowning.

Sirius pursed his lips, nodding. "That's right; you guys don't know. Well, after you died, Harry survived the _Avada Kedavra_ from Voldemort, and somehow, he just- just _banished_ him, I guess. All I know is that after that night, Voldemort was 'less than human, less than the merest ghost, but he was alive'. Or at least that's how he explained it to Harry in his first year, I think." Sirius shrugged.

"_Explained it to Harry in his first year?!_" Lily shrieked, livid. Eleven years old and facing Voldemort?! Her son! When she was eleven, she was focused on learning all the magic that she could, and staying away from the frightening seventh years.

"Lily, let's go home," James said quietly, his hazel eyes distressed. He looked from his best friend to his wife, and he sighed. "Sirius can better explain this to us at our home. It will be easier for us, and it will make less of a scene. Besides, we need to get Padfoot acquainted with his new home." He grinned weakly, and Sirius grinned back, something that James was eternally grateful for.

"This is your house? It looks…" Sirius began, awestruck. He looked at James and Lily's modest home, and he felt tightness in his chest, mourning for the home that Harry never got to know. He, Sirius, and the rest of the Marauders, had so many happy memories in this house, yet his godson had so few. His sadness was short-lived, however, because his best friend seemed to be reading his mind. James Potter put an arm around Sirius's shoulders, and Lily's hand slipped into his.

"Just like our cottage in Godric's Hollow?" James finished for him, a small grin on his face. "Yeah, it was just sitting here when we showed up."

"When we finally realized Harry wasn't coming, that is," Lily added softly, smiling at her familiar home. "Well, let's get inside, shall we?" She said briskly, opening the door for her husband and their best friend. The next few days, or even weeks, would be difficult enough; they might as well start early. Besides, Lily could not help herself; she was hungry for news of her precious, darling son, and Sirius had it. As happy as she was to have Padfoot back, and to see a true smile on her husband's face again, nothing would make her truly happy until she heard how her baby was. She craved the news more than ever now that she really had an opportunity to hear it.

"It's even got a room for you, mate, just like our old place," James said happily, grinning at Sirius. He nodded up the staircase. "It looks just the same."

Sirius smiled tightly, eyeing the sofa in the sitting room. James sighed, taking a seat and Sirius sat next to him. Lily curled up in her favorite rocking chair, looking at her friend apprehensively. There was an awkward silence in which Sirius stared at the floor, his head in his hands. Lily bit her lip, staring at him intently. She willed his lips to move, to hear her son's name, so she would truly know that he thrived, that he _lived_. He pushed his ragged hair back, his gray eyes flickering between James and Lily. "Well, I guess I better get started then," he muttered, biting his lower lip. "I'll start at his first year, then. He made two friends on the train, Ron Weasley, Molly Weasley's youngest boy, and a Hermione Granger; she's Muggle-born, mate, but I swear, she's almost smarter than Lils." Sirius eyed Lily playfully, grinning ever so slightly. "The three of them are thick as thieves, mate, it's almost like looking at us again. Harry couldn't ask for two better friends."

James's eyes shone at that, and he wiped away tears brimming in his eyes. _A boy needs good friends_, he remembered. That was the advice that James's father had given to him before his first year at Hogwarts. He had found his best friends, and now, it seemed, so had his son. Sirius smiled at him, then started again. "Well, he got Sorted into Gryffindor, of course, and so did his friends. The Longbottom's son, Neville, he got into Gryffindor, too."

"Oh, Alice and Frank must be so proud," Lily whispered, smiling.

"Alice and Frank were tortured into insanity shortly after you were killed," Sirius said softly, bowing his head. His hands clenched and unclenched in anger as he thought of it; he had tried to forget that it ever happened. Frank and Alice had been like family to the Marauders, and Lily's best friends. "The boy was raised by his grandmother, Frank's mother."

James's mouth opened and closed, like a fish out of water. "Frank? Frank Longbottom? He was one of the best Aurors in the department… top of our class, after Lily…"

"It was my cousin, Bellatrix, and her mob of idiots. They wanted information about where Voldemort went," Sirius said grimly, scowling. "Can't believe I'm related to that slag. She deserves to be roasted alive, then eaten by mangy dogs. No, worse, let Wormtail be forced to eat her, piece by piece." His eyes gleamed maliciously. That would serve them both, his disaster of a cousin (he gagged to even call her _that_) and that… that _thing_ he, James, and Remus used to call a friend.

"Padfoot," James said warningly, glancing in Lily's direction. Sirius swore under his breath; Lily, little Lily, the sweetest flower in the garden, was crying. Sirius padded over to her chair, placing a hand on her arm. "Lily? Hey, honey, don't cry. They went bravely, and you should be proud of them. Please don't cry…"

James was by his wife's side, petting her hair while Sirius spoke. "The poor dears… That is a fate worse than death," Lily whispered, wiping her eyes. "Go on, Padfoot."

Sirius looked uneasy, glancing at James as if to get permission to continue. James just shrugged helplessly; as much as he too craved information about his son, every fiber of his very being was protesting Sirius's continuation of his tale. If it was hurting Lily, no more of it could continue. That had always been James's mantra, his motto… But what to do when what's hurting her could also bring them both news of the thing they both loved most?

"Talk, Sirius," Lily said roughly. "I can handle it! I'm not a ch-child. It's just… The poor boy, he's almost like Harry, practically parentless." She shrugged. "I can handle this, Padfoot. I need to hear of my Harry," she said softly, her green eyes looking into Sirius's gray ones.

Sirius sighed, nodding. "Alright, Lils. But if you start crying again, I'm going to stop and wait until… tomorrow, I guess? Are there days here?" He asked, looking at James for an answer.

James, content at the brief change of subject, answered cheerfully, "Yep. Sun goes down, moon comes out…" His eyes brightened mischievously. "Wait till Moony gets here!" He whooped. "We can still do our moonlight runs!"

This thought cheered up Sirius immensely, but upon thinking further about his still-living best friend, his expression dimmed. "Oh, poor Moony. He's alone down there, save for Harry… and Tonks, I suppose, if he still isn't being an idiot about it." He rolled his eyes.

"Tonks? Isn't that the surname of your cousin Andromeda's husband?" Lily interjected curiously.

"The very same," Sirius said, smiling softly. "You know their little girl? Nymphadora? Well, she grew up, and, just like I said when Andi named her, _hates_ her name, so she goes by her surname, _Tonks._" Sirius looked at his friends, waiting for them to get it, but apparently they were lost. "Remus and Tonks are in love! But Moony's being a class act about it; using his age and his furry little problem as excuses to stay away from her. Swears he's 'dangerous'." Sirius shook his head, angrily.

Lily and James were thinking along the same lines. Both of them shouted obscenities, shaking their heads angrily. "There is nothing wrong with Moony," James said heatedly, his hazel eyes fierce with loyalty to his friend. "Moony deserves the best bird out there, and if your cousin's daughter is the one he loves, then he should have her. He needs to quit being stupid about it and just go for it! We've been-"

"Trying to tell him that for years?" Sirius supplied, sighing. "Yeah, I know. He was about to go for it and ask her out again, at my insistence, of course." He wiggled his eyebrows, grinning, then frowned. "But now with my death… Well, I don't know how he's going to cope. He won't show his grief in front of Harry; it took him six years to feel comfortable grieving around us, and he knows Harry looks up to him. He's going to keep it all inside, like he always does, and he'll push her away again." Sirius frowned, wishing with all his might that he could help somehow, and make his friend's life a little easier. Sirius wanted Remus to know love; he wanted that much for him. He wanted Moony to be happy. Was that too much to ask?

"Harry?" Lily interjected, biting her lip. She fidgeted, impatient.

Sirius chuckled, smiling fondly. "You two would be proud of the man he's become. He's one of the bravest people I've ever known. Fought off Voldemort in his first, second _and_ fourth years; killed a basilisk in his second year, saving the little Weasley girl; saved _me_ from the dementors in his third year, using the Patronus charm-"

"_Voldemort?_" Lily shrieked, at the same time James perked up and asked, "A Patronus, at his age?"

Sirius smiled bleakly. "What can I say? He's definitely your son."


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, mate?" James called up the stairs to his best friend, his voice oddly hesitant. Sirius frowned, peeking down at his friend curiously. James, in death as in life, was full of energy and buoyancy. It was unusual for him to be still, and just downright odd for him to hesitate at anything. Even with Lily, whom James treated as if she was made of glass, he was as hyperactive and talkative as ever.

"What's wrong, Prongs?" Sirius asked, his tone slightly worrying. He could feel it; something was just _wrong_. He couldn't place a name on it, but James must have felt it, too, because James's expression mirrored how Sirius felt.

"I think… I think someone passed on," James said simply, his brow furrowing. He looked confused and disgruntled, which Sirius understood perfectly; neither of them liked the feeling of not _knowing_.

"Should we go, then?" Sirius said lightly, though his heartbeat (he guessed? It felt like it beat, but it couldn't have. It must have been just one of the sensations that this afterlife came with) sped up. _Remus?_ He thought hopefully, but he knew it couldn't be. James had explained to him what it was like when he and Lily had found him, and Sirius was sure that when Remus was gone, he and James would instinctively just, _know_. But he could always hope, even if it was false. He longed to have Remus with him and James, along with Lily and Harry; just to have them all together again.

James pursed his lips, glancing back at the sitting room where Lily sat in her comfy chair, napping lightly. "Just for a minute," he said decidedly, and Sirius could tell that, even though his eyes were turned away, they were glinting with mischief like they had when he was alive.

Well, that was enough for Sirius. He padded down the stairs quietly, grinning in what felt like an odd way; how was it normal to be happy that someone they knew was now dead? But with a shrug, he decided not to question it too much, as he had decided with much of what came in the afterlife. "Who do you think it could be?" He asked, once he and James had gotten out of the door and onto the blue path. No matter where you were, the blue path would always lead you to the Portal. The Portal had gotten only more crowded since Sirius's death, so Sirius thought soberly that the second war must have begun. So many new souls, waiting for their loved ones who, it seemed, would never come… He felt a pang of grief for them, but it was quickly overpowered by his intensified feeling of curiosity. "Do you recognize anyone, Prongs?"

James looked around impatiently, straining to see past people's forms. "Not that I can tell," he muttered unhappily. He shook his head, frowning. "I swear, Padfoot, I felt the flame go out. I just couldn't tell quite who it was. I just know that they were important. I know that they need to see _us_, for some reason."

"Prongs, mate," Sirius interrupted, his tone unbelieving. He pointed, his arm shaking slightly with disbelief and almost absolute terror. _He can't be_, Sirius told himself firmly, _you're just imagining things_. The Albus Dumbledore in his mind's eye, although old, bearded, and incredibly wise-looking, did _not_ have a blackened, burned, decrepit wand-hand.

James followed Sirius's gaze, and his eyes widened. "Merlin, Padfoot, that can't be…"

"I'm afraid it is, gentlemen," said a merry voice that both of them instantly recognized.

"_Dumbledore_!" James and Sirius exclaimed simultaneously, both of them bubbling over with excitement.

"How's Harry? How did he cope with my death? Has he been properly watched over? What about the Weasleys?" Sirius asked in rapid succession, while James said at the same time, "Tell me about Harry, Dumbledore. Why would you send him to Lily's sister, of all people? Has he taken to Hogwarts well, then? Is… is he very like me and Lily, or is that just one of Sirius's stories?"

Dumbledore chuckled, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon glasses. He glanced around at his two former pupils and smiled curiously. "Now, where has Lily gotten to? I had assumed that she would be with you two."

James and Sirius both flushed guiltily. "We kind of didn't tell her we were coming," James admitted, feeling rather like a guilty schoolboy in his old headmaster's presence. "She was sleeping, and we didn't quite _know_ that it was going to be you, here, so…"

"So we are still marauding, even in the afterlife," Dumbledore finished, his smile a little too knowing for James's liking. He felt bad for deceiving Dumbledore when they were in school, especially since he had tried so hard to protect them.

"I think this would be better handled back at the cottage," Sirius said firmly, putting an arm around James's shoulders. "He knows everything," he added quietly, in James's ear, and his best friend grinned ruefully.

"Yeah, I think that would be best," James agreed with an impish grin. "Lily would love to see you, Professor."

"Please, please, call me Albus," Dumbledore invited, though his tone was less jovial now and a little more serious.

James and Sirius glanced at each other covertly, but, as in life, nothing escaped Dumbledore's eyes, though he did not let on. "This is a peculiar place, now, isn't it?" Albus commented lightly, smiling. James and Sirius, now used to their surroundings, nodded in agreement. The sky, always a clear blue in the days, and a purplish-blue at night, with a moon that was never quite full, was beautiful. James, Lily, and Sirius thought Remus would enjoy this highly, although the absence of Remus's transformations would never keep the men from running through the night.

"I suppose," Sirius said quietly, frowning in concentration. He looked at the yellow path that they were now on, and he wondered what it looked like to Albus Dumbledore. Yellow would always lead you home; blue to the Portal; red to your loved ones, and so on. Though Dumbledore had always been fond of Lily, and he had liked him well enough, Sirius could never tell where they stood in the old man's eyes. "It's magical, it must be, even though there are Muggles here too."

"I like to think that there is magic in everything," Albus said vaguely, smiling. James and Sirius looked at each other and shrugged. They didn't pay much attention to Dumbledore's ramblings, and they laughed at Remus good-naturedly for taking such stock in the old man's word. Although Sirius had died as a thirty-five-year-old man, he had seemed to grow younger as time had passed since his death, until he was as young as Lily and James again. The friends, not knowing what to make of it, had decided that although you couldn't age anymore, you probably reverted back to the age when you were last healthiest, and happiest.

"Ah, I assume this is yours, boys?" Albus said lightly, the smile never quite leaving his lips. He nodded at the cottage that was so similar to the one that Potters, and occasionally Sirius and Remus, had resided in in life. James nodded, and was about to respond, but he never got the chance. The door to the cottage jerked open, and a frighteningly angry Lily Potter stood in the doorway, hands on her hips and eyes murderous.

"Where in all of Hades have you been?" She shouted, a slight wobble in her voice the only sign that gave away to her fear behind all of the anger. "I woke up, and you were just… just _gone_, James!"

Sirius, hoping to stay out of his best friends' argument, tried to sidle past Lily, but she blocked his path, turning her glaring eyes on him. "What do you think _you're_ doing? I was worried about you, too, you idiot!" She smacked her palm against Sirius's shoulder, since he was closest, and almost collapsed into his arms, crying.

Sirius looked to his best mate helplessly, and James gently maneuvered Lily into his own arms, rubbing her back. "It's alright, sweetheart," he murmured, forgetting Albus momentarily. "I'm so sorry, love. I didn't think you'd wake up."

"I thought… I thought you were gone," Lily cried irrationally. James fought the urge to tell her that he couldn't be gone; they were dead, after all. But in his courting of Lily back in seventh year, he had finally managed to control his impulse to say and do stupid things. Around Lily, anyway. With the Marauders, James was as impulsive and stupid as the rest of them.

James cleared his throat. "Um, Lily, we brought someone back who would like to talk to us. He might have news of Harry."

At the mention of her son's name, Lily quickly dried her tears and whipped around to see who the mysterious stranger was. Her jaw dropped upon seeing her old headmaster, and without thinking, she launched herself in his arms. "Professor!" She yelled, planting a friendly kiss on his cheek. "So good to see you. I mean, it's terribly awful that you've, um, passed…" She trailed off, grinning awkwardly.

"I see Mr. Potter has rubbed off on you," Dumbledore said kindly, chuckling. "Now, as I suggested, this kind of talk may be better said without the fear of being overheard. I do have news of Harry, though some of it is not well."

Lily steeled herself, though inside she was crying out for her poor boy. How much more torment would he get at the hands of the Wizarding world, while still being expected to save them all? It was too much, Lily thought fiercely, for a boy to go through alone. He had nearly lost everyone, though she had to admit that he did have Molly and Arthur Weasley. She was thankful in that regard, though she wished that she could be the one who was able to hug and love her son. But as she could not until Harry's dying day (which she prayed fervently wouldn't come for a very long time), she thanked her lucky stars that it was the Weasleys that had taken Harry in as one of their own. Sirius had said that no one could have been more loving or kind (or protective, Sirius had added with a roll of his eyes) to him and for that Lily rejoiced.

"Of course, Professor," Lily said automatically, stepping aside and allowing her old headmaster, her husband, and their best friend inside. She closed the door with a little more force than needed, and she looked at Dumbledore expectantly. "Well?" She demanded, or tried, for it came out in a whimper. Albus Dumbledore looked at the young woman who died too soon, the mother who had only a year with her son before she and her husband were violently ripped from his life, and he understood her fierceness. It was much easier to hide behind anger than to show your fear outright.

"My dear, I do think we should take a seat in your lovely sitting room," Dumbledore said gently. "My story is long, and although I am sure that there are many delights to this afterlife that I have yet to experience, I would rather not test your stamina and strength. Besides, some of the things I have come to tell you are better taken when one is sitting."

Lily nodded jerkily, her eyes filled with tears, and she quickly sat on the sofa, while James and Sirius plopped down on either side of her. Sirius looked at his best friends, who had on the same expression that was on his own face. He was strongly reminded of his own death, though this time he was as eager for news as Lily and James were. He wondered in the back of his mind if this was how his friends had felt when it was he who brought news of his son, or if his emotions were different since he had known Harry, if only for a few short years.

Albus took the chair, stroking his beard thoughtfully, as if wondering how to begin. "I believe that the first thing you would like to know is why I allowed Harry to be raised by your sister, Petunia, and her husband, Vernon Dursley."

At his words, Lily regained her strength and anger. She turned as fiery as her hair. "Why did you sentence my boy to something so horrible? You knew that Petunia hated us! You knew that, and yet you took him there. You left him to my terrible sister for ten years, thinking that no one loved him. He didn't even know that he was a wizard until he was eleven! How could you do that?" She thundered shakily, gripping James's hand tightly.

"Though you may not know, when you died, Lily, you died to protect your son. That leaves a powerful protection upon Harry, but he could still be vulnerable. Voldemort had gone, but I knew that one day, he would find a way to come back. Meanwhile, his Death Eaters were free, and many would remain that way. The only way that I could protect Harry from detection was to leave him with his last remaining blood relatives. Since Petunia carried your blood in her veins, your son was safe from those who would harm him. Every summer that he returned there from Hogwarts, the protection was renewed. Though I had hoped that they would grow to love him, or at least treat him fairly, his protection was my main concern." Dumbledore's tone was defensive, but even Lily and James, who wanted to be angry with him for the hardships their son had to bear, could see the pain in his piercing blue eyes. Dumbledore, it seemed, cared for Harry almost as much as they did. "When he came to Hogwarts, he was healthy, although not pampered, but I had to be happy that he was there. I tried to keep him safe and happy at Hogwarts without giving him special treatment."

"How was he?" James asked eagerly, grinning. "I bet he was a natural, wasn't he? He was always showing signs of magic when he was a baby."

"His _teachers reported that he was modest, likable, and reasonably talented_,*" Dumbledore reported, then chuckled. "Only one teacher complained. Called him '_mediocre, arrogant as his father, a determined rule-breaker, delighted to find himself famous, attention-seeking and impertinent_-**"

"Who was that?" James roared, while Sirius scowled.

"I'm going to hazard a guess. Snape, was it?" Sirius said dryly, still scowling.

"Snape?" James glared, while Lily gasped.

Dumbledore sighed. "Yes, Severus was the one who had problems with Harry. He saw only what he expected to see. While Harry greatly resembles you, James, his nature is far more like Lily's. Though, he does have your temper." At this last comment, Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with humor.

_* and ** from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, US Version, page 679 for both quotes. _


	3. Chapter 3

A strange-looking, beaten-up man emerged out of the Portal. His scalp was covered with thin, pale hair that grew in odd patches. His nose was missing a hunk from the nostril, and in place of his right eye, the socket was stretched to hold an electric blue fake eye that buzzed and circled around of its own accord, seeing everything, while his other, dark and beady, was fixed on his surroundings. Half of his left leg was missing, replaced by a shoddy-looking wooden leg, and his clothes were nearly destroyed. If not for his successes while he was alive, no one would have even recognized Mad-Eye Moody materializing into the afterlife.

But Moody was unmistakable, and he was recognized, even in death. A tall, elderly wizard walked towards him with the grace of Sirius Black, and the twinkling blue eyes hidden behind half-moon glasses that were unmistakably Albus Dumbledore. "Hello, old friend," Dumbledore said pleasantly.

Moody looked quizzically at his old friend. "Dumbledore," he growled, merely out of habit, inclining his head in greeting. "You look different."

"Still blunt as always, I see, Alastor," Dumbledore chuckled good-naturedly, twiddling his thumbs as his eyes locked on his friend, who was looking at his surroundings with innate distrust.

Moody clucked his tongue. "So, I'm dead, am I?" It was phrased less like a question, more like a statement. Dumbledore decided to politely ignore it, casually glancing around at his now-familiar setting. "Suppose when that damned Mundungus Disapparated, the Death Eaters went straight for me." His gruff voice betrayed no emotion, other than his usual satiric qualities.

"Death Eaters?" Dumbledore questioned gently, though he knew that Alastor needed no gentleness; Moody was made of tougher stuff than most men, and Albus knew it.

"You should know; the plan had your name written all over it, Albus," Mad-Eye said with an unexpected smirk. "Though I'll be damned if I know how you managed to get the idea of seven Potters to Dung before you died without him mentioning it all this time. The lad's a criminal through and through, and a shoddy, scared one at that. He'd spill under pressure the moment someone poked a wand at him." To Moody, this was the highest form of disrespect; someone who wasn't braw enough to withstand a little torture.

"Actually, although that bit of brilliance was my idea, I believe that it was Severus whom helped our old friend Mundungus Fletcher share with you that bit of skullduggery."

Moody's mouth fell open, just a tiny bit. "Snape?_ Severus_ Snape?" He asked, his voice hard.

"Yes, that would be the one," Dumbledore said cheerfully, his blue eyes twinkling mysteriously as they had always done when he was alive. He glanced around, his cheerfulness slightly marred by the sight of the abundant number of grieving souls gathered around the Portal, and he cleared his throat. "While I am glad to see you, old friend, may I suggest that we take this conversation back to my current place of residence? I am sure that we will be much more comfortable there, and I assure you, the Potters are still very hospitable."

"You're staying with the Potters, eh?" Moody questioned, raising an eyebrow. He knew a bit about Dumbledore's past; he had been able to dig up quite a bit of gossip from the Dumbledores' old neighbors, but discerning the truth from all of the rubbish was difficult indeed. So, instead of investigating further, he used his knowledge of the man to scrutinize the stories and pick out glimmers of the truth. Using Aberforth's point-blank refusal to answer any questions, Moody had never broached the subject with Albus. Now that he was dead, he did wonder if Albus had ever searched for his parents and that sister of his. Although, if Albus's residing with Lily and James Potter was any clue, Moody guessed not. Not that he would question it; though Moody was usually always forthright and honest with everyone, with Dumbledore, he respected the boundaries. The old wizard was the only man Moody could honestly say had really earned his respect, besides his darling protégée, Tonks. Now, _there_ was a girl with spunk. "Well, lead the way, Albus," he said gruffly, working to forget about the girl. How would Tonks take his death? Would Lupin be supportive of her? He had a nagging suspicion that Lupin would eventually run, but he was paranoid, and no one was good enough for his brave girl. Though he did not believe in the stereotypes and idiocies invented by Wizarding society, it was hard to disbelieve everything his parents had taught him since birth, and mistrust of werewolves was a big one to forget.

"Now, what would that be?" Dumbledore questioned curiously, chuckling, bringing Moody out of his reverie. "Why, it looks like an owl!"

Indeed, Dumbledore was correct. The bird was a pure-white snowy, and she landed on Moody's arm, nipping his ear affectionately. "Gerroff, bird," Moody growled, but the bird merely clicked her beak at him.

Dumbledore chuckled once more. "I think this bird has an attachment to you. Why, I think this is Harry's bird." He looked curiously, then tried, "Hedwig?"

The owl looked at the old man expectantly, and Dumbledore sighed softly, stroking the bird's feathers. "You poor, poor creature. To have a life cut short, torn away from your beloved master." He shook his head. "Well, come along, Alastor."

"I am not a child, Albus," Moody grumbled, but followed his friend nonetheless. This place was mysterious to him, and he did not like mysterious places. He liked to find out all of the secrets forthright, as he had done at Hogwarts, instead of things surprising him at every turn. Despite the intensity of his thoughts, old habits remained, and Moody noticed almost everything. The landscape was ever-changing, the only thing that stayed was a pale brown path that he and Dumbledore followed rigorously. A house began to form through all of the ever-changing residences, parks, and villas, and this is where he and Dumbledore stopped. A modest cottage, Moody remembered with sudden clarity, that he had only seen after it had been blown to bits in the attempted murder of the Potter boy.

"Professor! There you are. Where have you gotten to? You've started to remind me of James and Sirius," Lily Potter laughed, gliding across the threshold to pat Dumbledore's cheek affectionately. She looked at Moody, her eyes widened with piqued interest, and she looked at Dumbledore again. "Brought home another one, Professor?"

"Actually, this is Alastor Moody. You remember him from the original Order?"

Lily dropped the dishtowel she had been holding, her eyes fixated on Moody. "Mad-Eye?" She said uncertainly, frowning. When she'd been in the Order, she'd merely been a girl, straight out of Hogwarts. She had been too caught up in ecstasy at being accepted into the elite group dedicated to fighting Voldemort to pay much attention to its elder members. She, James, Lily, Sirius, and… _him_, Lily thought disgustedly, unable to even think the traitor's name who had ripped her apart from her precious baby. They had always been with a group of younger members, not bothering with the stuffy elders who had reminded them too much of the teachers they had just escaped. But still, Moody was a hard man to forget, and Lily did recognize him, if only vaguely. "I'm sorry for your passing," she said compassionately, touching his shoulder comfortingly. Her eyes flickered to the owl on his other shoulder with interest. "And your owl's, I suppose."

"'S'not my owl, Mrs. Potter. It's your son's," Moody said gruffly, his magical eye roving to fix on Lily's face, which blanched. She reached to stroke the bird, making comforting noises at it, until Dumbledore cleared his throat politely.

"I believe that Alastor can tell us how Harry's escape from Privet Drive went," Albus said pointedly, "and you know as well as I that these things are better said as soon as possible."

Lily nodded quickly. "Of course; I'll go get James and Sirius." She ran inside the house, calling for her husband and friend, while Dumbledore and Moody went into the house quietly.

"You know I can't tell her much," Moody said, glancing at Dumbledore. "They knew we were leaving that night, and they headed straight for me and Dung. They were leaving as the curse hit me. I hope Potter managed to make it out unscathed, but there you are." He shrugged, gesturing to the bird on his shoulder.

"Though you are merely being truthful and realistic about the situation, I would caution you not to be so cavalier about Mr. Potter's survival in front of his parents and godfather. As you may remember, they are very passionate people; they would not take well to something happening to Harry. We've only just dragged Mr. Black away from the Portal again, this past week. He was certain after I had gone, Harry would certainly follow."

Moody harrumphed. "'S'not like the boy hasn't any protectors left," he growled, growing angry at the feeling of inadequacy he felt when comparing himself mentally with Dumbledore. "There were many capable witches and wizards left to protect Potter from the Voldemort; the boy had the entire Order planning his escape route."

"I quite agree, Alastor – and although this may seem unrelated, in the future, would you comply in calling him 'Tom Riddle', or merely addressing him by his surname? It gives him the feeling of power, still, even in this place where he shall never be welcomed, and I would not have it tarnished by using the nickname he made up for himself. Death will recognize Tom Marvolo Riddle, not a made up man named Voldemort, and I would appreciate if we did, as well."

Moody frowned at the unusually sharp words, but shrugged. It was no concern of his what the evil git was to be called; so long as he would be defeated. If it comforted the old man, Moody would abide by them. It mattered not, and Albus deserved comfort after the life he had lived.

"Alright, alright! We're coming, Lily," rumbled the very familiar voice of Sirius Black as he barreled into the sitting room, closely followed by James and Lily Potter. He glanced at the two old men and frowned. "Dumbledore. Lil says he helped Harry?" He looked at James, and the two men gave Moody very uncertain glances.

Lily, on the other hand, seemed sure of herself, and ushered her husband and friend into chairs. "You can question him later, boys; let him talk! I want to hear about Harry."

Sirius rolled his eyes, and James followed suit, but they stayed quiet, waiting for Moody to speak. With a nod from Dumbledore, Alastor Moody sighed. "Not sure I can give you what you want to know, Mrs. Potter," he grumbled apologetically, then he shrugged. "I'll tell you what I know. We devised a plan – well, I should say Dumbledore devised a plan, more like a plot, if you ask me – to fool Riddle and hopefully, to get Pot- Harry, to the safety of one of the houses that had been given every protection we could think of. Now, we were sure that the Death Eaters had infiltrated the Ministry through Pius Thicknesse, a department head, so the Aurors were to have no part in helping us. We decided to move him a few days before his seventeenth birthday, before the charm Lily gave to him would break. We got his ruddy aunt, uncle, and cousin to safety – a bloody mistake, if you ask me; they were just asking to be tortured – then we showed up at the house, where Potter was waiting. There were thirteen of us; me; Arthur Weasley; Kingsley Shacklebolt; Remus and Tonks; Bill Weasley and his wife, Fleur; the twins, Fred and George Weasley; Ron and Hermione; Hagrid, of course; and that ruddy fool, Mundungus.

"Weasley and Granger, of course, had warned us that Harry would be averse to our plan – that was to have seven Potters flying through the air to a different home, each with a protector – but then, we already knew that. The boy refuses to let people take risks for him, and it's damned stupid of him."

James and Sirius looked ready to bark a defense for Harry, but Moody hushed them before the words could leave their mouths. "Yeah, I know what you're going to say; he's a very gallant lad, but this is war, and he's our only hope. Sacrifices must be made, and it's high time he realized it, especially with me out of the picture to tell him."

Dumbledore hid a smirk, because he knew just how often Moody would have barked, 'Constant vigilance!' at Harry, whom was confused enough as it was. He felt awful for leaving the boy in such a terrible place with such few clues, but if his plan went precisely as it should… well, he wouldn't worry about that yet.

Moody continued. "As expected, Potter refused, but we yanked a few hairs anyway. Granger, Ron, George, Fred, Fleur, and Dung were to boy our decoys; Hermione with Kingsley on Thestral; Ron with Tonks on broom; George and Remus, again by broom; Fred and Arthur; Bill, taking Fleur by Thestral; and Dung with me, on a broom. We assumed that Snape would've told the Death Eaters enough that they would look for the Potter that was at home on a broom, so instead of having Harry in his natural habitat, we stuck him in Sirius's old motorbike with Hagrid. Hagrid was mightily pleased about that, you can be sure. Well, we started off, and it seemed that they knew we were going to be off that night. I'd think someone let go the plan, but you should have seen their faces when they saw all of the Potters. They didn't know that bit, so I was sure no one had let it slip – I mean, why would they get the date and not the whole plot of the plan? Well, as expected, they went after Dung and I first – I knew they'd expect Harry to have the top protection from the best, so we knew they'd go for me or Kingsley first – and it might have worked, until Dung panicked and Disapparated on me. I could see Bill and Fleur just getting away when they blasted me with the bloody _Avada Kedavra_, and then I met Dumbledore at that Portal deal." He shrugged, glancing at Dumbledore. Albus nodded, and Moody sighed, running a hand through his thatches of hair.

Sirius and James looked stunned, and Lily had tears in her eyes. "My boy," Lily began softly, reaching out to touch Moody's forearm gently, "he… He survives?"

Alastor looked at the poor woman with pity, and answered with a heavy heart. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Potter… I don't know."


	4. Chapter 4

"How is Moody settling in with the McKinnons?" Lily asked, sipping tea on the sitting room sofa, speaking of Moody's reunion with the woman he had loved but never took a chance on when he was alive: Marlene McKinnon. James, beside her, not at all interested in the conversation, was concentrated on a game of Exploding Snap with Sirius, who sat on the floor, legs crossed. Lily's question was directed towards Dumbledore, who still remained at the Potters' residence, despite Lily's gentle attempts to find out about his family.

However, before Albus Dumbledore could answer, a loud crack permeated through the room. At first, Lily was sure that it had been from Sirius and James's game, but they looked just as stunned as she did. Dumbledore, however, was smiling. The three younger people followed his gaze into the middle of the room, and they all sucked in a sharp breath. There stood a small, ugly creature with large, tennis-ball shaped green eyes: a House-Elf, and a particularly young one at that. "Hello, Dobby!" Dumbledore said pleasantly, genuinely pleased to see the elf.

"Master Dumbledore, sir!" the elf squeaked, tears of gratefulness leaking from his huge eyes. "Dobby is so happy to see you, sir!"

"Likewise! Dobby, I would like to introduce you to a few people." He nodded to Lily, James, and Sirius, who were all still looking stunned and confused. "This is Sirius Black, and Lily and James Potter. Harry's parents." He added this tidbit of information for the elf's benefit, and he said for the young people on the sofa, "Dobby used to work for the Malfoy family. When young Harry rescued Miss Weasley from the Chamber of Secrets in his second year, he caused Lucius Malfoy to inadvertently free Dobby by hiding a sock in Tom Riddle's diary, which he returned to Lucius, fully knowing that he would toss it aside to his elf."

At this, Dobby cried even greater tears. "Harry Potter has made Dobby a free elf! Dobby is forever indebted to Harry Potter." He threw himself at the feet of Lily and James. "Harry Potter's parents!"

Dumbledore chuckled, amused. "Dobby, please – you do not have to grovel. Please, stand."

Lily, who was partial to the helpless creatures called 'House-Elves', smiled. "Here, erm… Dobby? You can sit and have my spot. It is very disorienting when you're new."

As Lily got up, she was startled by Dobby's heavy, happy sobs. "Dobby knows Harry Potter is selfless and kind, but Harry Potter's parents are, too! Thank you, Mistress Potter!"

James raised an eyebrow, but Dumbledore smiled knowingly, mouthing, 'He does this all the time. He adores Harry.' Then, to Dobby, he said aloud, though with the proper gentleness, "Dobby, I assume you have just died?"

Dobby nodded his head, his eyes round. "Yes, sir." His face went dreamy and he added, "But 'tis no trouble, because Dobby died saving Harry Potter and his friends, Master Wheezy and Mistress Hermy, with Mistress Luna and Masters Dean and Olly-vander."

Lily gave a small yelp when Dobby mentioned saving her son, squeezing James and Sirius's hands tightly. She yearned to embrace the small elf, and gladly would have, had James and Sirius not had such a tight grip on her hands. She did, however, gaze warmly at him.

Sirius, however, was unsure. "_You_ saved Harry?" He said skeptically, frowning. Lily, who had never had the prejudice against other magical beings that Sirius and James had been raised with, elbowed him and scowled.

Dumbledore sighed, shaking his head. "Sirius, I've always said you would regret your treatment of house-elves. Dobby is not Kreature, Sirius, and you would do well to learn that. Besides, had you been kind to him, as your brother–"

"My brother," Sirius spat, scowling. He was ready to say more, but Lily shushed him. He mumbled under his breath, "Harry stuck up for me," and James sniggered.

"Padfoot, mate, if all your support comes from my fifteen-year-old son…" James shook his head and laughed again.

"Sir, Harry Potter is seventeen years old, sir," Dobby interjected squeakily. "He is young, but he is the greatest wizard of all time. He will defeat the Dark Lord, sir."

That shut James and Sirius up quickly, and Dumbledore tried to hide a knowing smirk. "We have no doubt, Dobby, that this is true. What we would like from you, though, is news of how Harry's doing. His parents, of course, would like to hear everything you can tell them of Harry, given your friendship."

Dobby almost blushed under what he considered praise. "Harry Potter freed Dobby. Dobby can tell you whatever you wish about Harry Potter and his friends." He blinked owlishly at Dumbledore. "Master Dumbledore, sir, should I tell Masters and Mistress about Malfoy Manor first?" At Dumbledore's nod, Dobby began. "Master Aberforth, Master Dumbledore's brother, sent Dobby after Harry Potter and his friends. Master Aberforth heard Harry Potter's voice from the mirror, sirs, and –"

"Wait! What mirror?" Lily asked, confused. Meanwhile, James and Sirius smirked.

"The two-way mirror, Miss," Dobby said happily, smiling. "Master Sirius Black gave it to Harry Potter when he was fifteen, but after Master Sirius's death, it had broken. Before Master Dumbledore's death, he gave the other mirror, Master Sirius's mirror, to his brother, Master Aberforth. So he can watch after Harry Potter, sirs."

"You mean… That mirror you two used to use during detentions?" Lily asked, looking from her husband to her friend, a grin plastered on her lips. "That's what saved my baby. That silly mirror." She giggled hysterically.

James poked her side, equally ecstatic at their son's survival, yet again. "And you always said the mirrors were only for troublemakers."

"I wish he would have found them sooner, though," Sirius said softly, sighing. "Maybe I could be with him now, if he had."

"_Sirius_," Lily snapped, going from happy to angry in about two seconds flat. "If you ruin this for me, I will kill you." As James opened his mouth to make a joke, Lily turned on him, too. "Don't you dare tell me that he's already dead, James Potter! My son survived, and this lovely little elf has come to tell us about it, and Sirius is going to pout because he died. Well, we died, too, but at least _he_ got some time with Harry. Yet we aren't complaining." Lily glared fiercely, though there were tears in her green eyes. James took her hand, and Sirius looked apologetic. "I'm sorry for freaking out," Lily said, finally, after staring at them for a few more minutes.

"I'm sorry for complaining," Sirius said automatically.

"Dobby, I think you should continue," Dumbledore said gently. "This time… From the beginning."

Dobby nodded. "Dobby met Harry Potter before his second year, sirs. There was an evil plot to kill Harry Potter by… by my old masters. Dobby disobeyed orders to come and warn Harry Potter, but Harry Potter would not listen to Dobby! He insisted that he must return to Hogwarts, in spite of the grave danger! So, Dobby did not give him his letters back, and… Dobby also dropped a pudding on the Muggle woman's head." Dobby looked slightly sheepish, but Lily, James, and Sirius shared a grin.

"Please tell me it was Petunia," Lily said feverishly, smirking.

"No, Miss," Dobby said uncertainly, and Lily blushed deep crimson. Dobby continued. "Dobby Disapparated, and Dobby fears he may have gotten Harry Potter into trouble. But it was for Harry Potter's own good! He should not have been allowed to come back to Hogwarts!" Dobby looked fearfully at Harry's parents, who were smiling fondly.

"I remember when my mum didn't want me coming back to Hogwarts in our third year," James says with a nostalgic grin. "Tied my trunk to the end of my broom and off I went. I didn't make it, mind you – but it got my mum to send me back."

"You said something about having Harry's letters?" Sirius said with a quirked eyebrow.

Dobby blushed. "Dobby had to intercept them. If Harry Potter's friends were not writing to him, then maybe… Dobby thought that Harry Potter would not return to Hogwarts if he thought his friends had forgotten him." Looking panicked, he added, "Dobby offered them back! But Harry Potter would not agree to stay home."

James beamed. "He's brave, our son," he whispered proudly in Lily's ear, cradling her in his arms. Lily laughed, a delicious sound that, at one time, James had thought that she would never emit again. But then Sirius came, and Dumbledore and Moody, and now this House-Elf… He hugged her closer.

"Harry Potter returned to Hogwarts, even though Dobby locked the barrier at Platform 9 and ¾. Harry Potter and his Wheezy stole Master Wheezy's enchanted car and flew." Dobby looked a little irritated at this, and Sirius chuckled. He knew just how frustrating his godson could be if you were trying to look out for him, though he had to admit, the elf went to some very unusual measures.

"Dobby tried again, this time with his Bludger that was trained on Harry Potter, during his Quidditch match. If Harry Potter got badly hurt, then maybe he would have to return home." The little elf looked sheepish. "Harry Potter caught the Snitch, even after Dobby's Bludger broke his arm."

"You did do the thing properly, didn't you?" Sirius said admiringly, while James chuckled. Lily glared at them both. "He broke his arm! Why are you gits laughing?"

"Oh, Pomfrey probably fixed him in a trice, Lily, don't get so worked up," James said casually, grinning.

"Actually, Sir, Professor Lockhart tried to fix Harry Potter, but he, erm… He removed the bones from Harry Potter's arm." Dobby squirmed uncomfortably.

James sputtered. "That nutter? Dumbledore, you hired _Lockhart _to teach my son?" James, Lily, and Sirius all knew that Lockhart was only adept at one thing: memory charms. He was a few years behind them in school, and he was an evil little git then.

"The job attracted minimal applicants. I had to take what I could get," Dumbledore said simply, shrugging.

"Harry Potter had to take Skele-Grow and stay overnight in the Hospital Wing, where Dobby visited him – in secret, of course. They brought in Master Creevey and Dobby _knew_ that Harry Potter must get away from Hogwarts! Dobby tried, but Harry Potter was quite angry with Dobby then…" He trailed off, his voice unbelievably high, looking a little hysterical. "Dobby does not know what happened next, except that Harry Potter defeated the bad things, and he set Dobby free." A slow, serene smile spread across the elf's face.

At Lily, James, and Sirius's questioning looks, Dumbledore explained. "Lucius Malfoy dropped one of Riddle's old school things – in this case, a diary – into Ginny Weasley's cauldron upon meeting the Weasleys and Harry in Diagon Alley. Ginny, thinking her mother had purchased her the diary, poured her heart and soul into the object, and in the end, she was possessed. That was the year that the Heir of Slytherin rose again, this time, in Ginny Weasley's body. Harry, realizing that the diary was what was keeping Riddle alive and sucking the life out of Ginny, proceeded to stab it with a basilisk fang, and there went Riddle.

"When Lucius Malfoy came to the school to, ah, 'investigate' my return to Hogwarts, he found Harry and I in my office. Harry, in a moment of extreme boldness, told Lucius that he had something of his. Harry followed Lucius and his elf out of my office, and he threw the diary at Lucius, knowing that he would in turn give it to his elf to hold." Dumbledore's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Unknown to Mr. Malfoy, Harry had stuffed his sock into the middle of the diary."

"So, Dobby was free!" Dobby erupted with extreme joy, his grin wide. "Dobby and Harry Potter have been friends ever since."


	5. Chapter 5

_ This was it. After all of the years he had pleaded with the great power above, it had finally conceded to give him his one wish for such a long amount of time: to die along with his friends. Except now, it came with a catch, he knew, as he saw the beautiful faces of his beloved wife and son fill his mind's eye, not to mention the boy whom he had known since birth but only recently (for he did not count the years where they had no contact, despite Harry knowing that he existed) gotten back in touch. People needed him now, Remus Lupin thought desperately, although he knew that it was already too late. The curse was nearing him now, the time seeming to have slowed almost to a stop. He could not resign himself to go quietly, though, as he had always thought he would go, because of the wife he knew was still there and the baby waiting with it's grandmother, awaiting it's parents' return. He tried to move, tried to fight and block the curse, but his wand arm would not move; in fact, none of him would. He pondered this for a moment, almost absently, and that split second of curious nature taking over was all it took. With a great thud, the man, a husband, a father, one of the best teachers Hogwarts had ever seen, fell to the ground, his eyes no longer bright with that subtle sparkle that interested the few who had gotten to know him. Remus Lupin was dead, dead in the middle of chaos, dead at the place where he had first felt alive. _

Instead of walking calmly out of the Portal, like most did, Remus Lupin tumbled, rolling a few times and knocking into people, who looked at him with sympathy. His brown eyes darted up to try and determine where he was and what had happened, but before anything could really register, his mind cried out for the one person who he longed to see the most. _Nymphadora! Tonks. Dora, Dora, Dora_, Remus crooned inside his mind, tears welling in the eyes that could not see his beloved anywhere.

Remus did not wipe them away. He wanted nothing more than to stay here, wherever here was, curled in the fetal position and crying forevermore. But he did not. He would not, he decided, because he knew what the reaction would be of the people closest to him. Nymphadora would be furious, as would Harry – Remus could still hear the boy's (_no, he's a man now_) words from Grimmauld Place in his head, something that shamed him every time he remembered it – Sirius and James would… Remus cringed to think of what his best friends would do if they were ever to see him lying on the ground like a child.

"We'd probably kick your arse for being such a sorry piece of dung," said a voice all too familiar though Remus hadn't heard for more than sixteen years – but it couldn't be. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter, willing the demons that tortured him to please go away.

"We're demons? Hear that, Prongs, what he's calling us now?" That amused, I-really-couldn't-care-less-but-you-know-I-really- love-you-in-a-matey-way voice was one that Remus could not ignore. He had spent the last two years trying to get that voice out of his head, blaming himself for the poor man's death. Remus opened his eyes hesitantly and was shocked to see his two _dead_ best friends crouched down, grinning at him. Remus's mouth must have been hanging open, because Sirius Black barked out a laugh and said, "Close your mouth, Moony, you're going to attract flies." He cocked his head to the side, his mouth sagging slightly, and his face showed a hint of the sad, lonely man whom Remus had seen for the first time in twelve years when he was teaching at Hogwarts. "You weren't the cause for my death, Remus."

"But… How – I mean, you-you're –," Remus sputtered, which was wholly unlike him.

"Dead?" James Potter finished for him, grinning madly. "Yes, I suppose we are. But then, you are, too, mate."

"I'm dead?" Remus yelled, his voice rising three octaves. His brown eyes were wide as saucers, and it all came crashing down on him. He had died in the Battle, right after seeing Nymphadora had left her mother's and come to fight instead – _oh no. _"Teddy!"

James and Sirius looked at each other, confused. "Excuse me?" James said uncertainly, frowning.

"I knew we should have brought Lily," Sirius said with a shake of his head. "She knows how to do this stuff."

James frowned, elbowing Sirius. "But we're his best friends mate, we can help him." His voice got a steely resolve. "We will help him." Turning to Remus again, James said softly, "Who's Teddy, mate?"

"My son!" Remus pulled at his hair, the color having drained out of his face. "Oh, god – Dora, she's fighting Bellatrix, she needed to stay at home, she needed to stay with Teddy." Remus did not care that he was talking to himself; he cared naught about anything but his wife and son. He looked so pitiful and worried that James felt a pang of nostalgia for when he had died, arrived, and Lily and Harry were nowhere in sight. Of course, Lily had showed up after ten minutes, but he knew what Remus was going through.

Despite that, the words pouring from Remus's mouth were still a shock to the two men. "You have a _son_?_" _James asked, eyes wide. "When did that happen?"

"Only days ago, maybe a month, I don't know! He's only an infant, James – he ne-," Remus yelled angrily, glaring at his best friend, but stopped. He took a good look at the two men in front of him, as if only now realizing what being dead meant. _His friends, his family_, the small voice in the back of his mind whispered, and Remus felt a triumphant joy spread throughout his body. His wife and child were anything but forgotten, but James and Sirius… He had been missing them for _so_ long…

His aforementioned friends stood shock-still in front of him, bewildered and totally taken by surprise when the third member of their family embraced them tightly. Once the shock had worn off, they hugged him fiercely, the hug saying more than they could utter with their mouths. The only thing that brought them out of their reunion-high was a soft, girlish voice from behind them. "I knew I shouldn't have let you come alone," it said, and chuckled. Remus was frozen – he had never dared hope to hear that voice again. No, he would not believe it – but his mind was screaming with joy. _James, Sirius, and Lily! James, Sirius, and Lily!_ it chanted, a song that made him want to weep and scream and yell to the world that they were complete, once more – but they weren't. Remus realized this with a sinking heart as he turned to see the woman who had captured his best friend's heart, rejected it, and then finally married him. Even though his friends knew nothing of his wife and child, he knew they could never be complete without them. He had dreamed about this reunion for years, but it was not at all how he imagined it. Yes, the joy was still very there, but it wasn't the ecstasy he had imagined it to be. Still, he could not ignore the people who had become his family. "Lily," he gasped, as she pulled him in for a hug. Tears spilled from his eyes, dropping on her cherry-red hair, but she didn't mind. He hugged her hard, always having loved Lily. She was the first, outside his parents, Dumbledore, and the Marauders, who knew of his affliction, and one of the only to accept him, and even love him, for what he was. James had been furiously jealous at first, but it soon became clear that the love Lily and Remus felt for each other was one of a brother and sister, and that was how Remus felt now; he was being reunited with his brothers and sister. _His family_.

"Remus?" said a second female voice, and Remus almost fainted with sheer joy. His arms dropped from around Lily, and he whipped around to see the lovely woman with the heart-shaped face, short, spiky pink hair, and the same sorrow in her eyes that he had just been experiencing. "Dora," Remus breathed, and they embraced fiercely, as if they would never get their fill. Remus kissed her forehead, stroking her hair, and they wept for their son.

James and Lily looked confused, but mostly felt joy that their friend had finally found love. Sirius, however, smiled knowingly. "That's Andromeda's daughter, Nymphadora," he said quietly, his voice filled with happiness for his friend. It doubled when he realized that Remus's son – blimey that was a weird notion – Remus's son, was Dora's son. He shared his realization with his friends, "I guess that means Teddy is my new cousin."

Tonks, who had eyes for no one but Remus when she first found the cluster, looked up slowly, as if she could not believe her ears. Her eyes sought Sirius's, and slowly her face lit up in a big smile. Remus let her go, albeit reluctantly, and she jumped into her cousin's arms. "You're okay," she cried, kissing his cheek and hugging him tightly. "Mum- Mum was heartbroken when you died," Tonks whispered, her eyes filling with tears once again at the mention of her mother. "Oh, Helga, Mum… Mum's all alone, now. Dad… Sirius, have you seen my dad? He, he died a few months back."

Sirius's heart sank. "No, I haven't, Tonks, but we'll look, darling girl. Don't you worry; he has to be here somewhere." He kissed her hair, so happy to have part of his family here with him and grinned. "Since Remus is so keen on keeping you to himself and not introducing you, allow me. This is James and Lily Potter."

Remus blushed furiously, and Tonks took his hand, smiling up at him lovingly. James smiled and Lily gave a small wave, and Tonks looked horrorstruck. "These… These are Harry's parents," she whispered, her eyes wide.

None of them understood her horror, and Lily received a surprise when Tonks threw herself at her, embracing her. "You know," Tonks said softly when she pulled away, tears welling in her eyes. "You know what it's like, leaving a baby behind –" She broke off, burying her face in Remus's chest as the sobs took over.

Lily closed her eyes, sighing. "Yes, I do," she said quietly, blinking to keep tears from appearing in her eyes as well. She felt a strange kinship with this woman of Remus's whom she had never really met before. Both of them left behind a son with nowhere to go to. Lily patted Tonks's back, whispering soothingly, "Harry won't let anything happen to your Teddy. Harry would never allow anything to harm Remus's son, I know it."

"I hope so; he's Teddy's godfather," Remus mumbled with a slight grin, still holding his wife protectively. Lily's face lit up, and James and Sirius looked ready to voice their congratulations, but another voice interrupted them.

"Sorry to ruin your cozy catch-up, but this is bound to get crowded," the growly voice of Mad-Eye Moody barked. "I've been talking around and it seems that the battle has started." He eyed Remus and Tonks, nodding to Remus and giving Tonks a very rare smile. From behind him, he pulled a short, stocky red-haired man by the collar that Remus, Tonks, and Sirius had never seen without his double – Fred Weasley stood before them, grinning as only he could. "This one says it's bound to get even worse around here, so I suggest we all take cover."

"Even dead, you're prepared for an attack, Mad-Eye," Sirius said with a roll of his eyes and a smirk. He threw arms around both Remus and James, feeling content as he looked at his friends and their wives. Normally, he would feel a pang of regret that he had never gotten serious with a girl before, but he shrugged it off now. He gave Fred Weasley a cheeky grin, which was returned almost immediately, and Sirius grinned widely. He and Fred could be the ones going stag now, when being around the cozy couples got just a touch too revolting.

James ducked under his friend's arm, laughing. "Alright, let's head back to the cottage then. Is Dumbledore there?" He asked his wife offhandedly, frowning.

"Well, he was when I left," Lily admitted with a guilty grin. "I sort of forgot to tell him, so if he's found out, he might be on his way here. There's no way Dumbledore wouldn't feel Remus."

"Feel Remus?" Tonks repeated with a dumbstruck look on her face.

Sirius, James, and Lily laughed. Sirius clapped her on the back, grinning. "We'll explain it later, after you three are done telling us what's going on down there."

Tonks and Remus nodded, perplexed, still clutching each other's hands tightly as they followed their friends back to the cottage. Moody and Fred trailed behind in last, talking quietly until they reached the quaint little home that Harry would have grown up in, had Lily and James survived.

"Blimey," Remus sighed, blinking. He gazed at the replica of the cottage that held so many fond memories for him, that had been home, even, for a while, and warmth built up in his chest. He smiled as he felt Sirius and James clapping him on the back, and they shared a grin at Remus's dreamy expression.

"This was Lily and James's cottage," Remus said quietly to his wife, "The one that got blown up when they d – died." _This was our home_, Remus to himself, but his wife knew. Tonks squeezed Remus's hand, smiling.

"Well, let's go inside," Moody said gruffly, scowling. Fred stood behind them all, hands shoved in his pockets, an unreadable expression on his face as he started to realize what being dead meant. The Potters had been here for years without any news of their son until Sirius showed up. How would he find out what was going on down there? He certainly didn't want anyone to die, just so he could get news, but he didn't want to go uninformed. His mind started to buzz with ideas, but sadly he realized Extendable Ears probably wouldn't work through the Portal, and even if they did, he hadn't died with any on him, anyway. Instead, he turned his gaze to the cottage, studying every detail of the home that would have been Harry's. Harry had been like his brother for so long, it was strange to meet the people who had born and raised him for a year. Lily and James, instead of Fred's mother and father, were Harry's parents. It was a strange notion, when the whole of the Weasley family had accepted Harry into the fold as their own. Fred followed the elder people into the cottage sitting room, taking a seat on the only free space available – the floor. With Sirius, Lily, and James on the sofa, Remus and Tonks squeezed into the extra-large rocking chair, and Moody on a wooden bench, Fred plopped down in the middle of the rocking chair and Moody's bench, completing the circle.

The three on the couch seemed to be bouncing in their seats, waiting for news, but also trying to keep themselves from embracing their best friend. Remus was holding Tonks tightly, his arms secure around her waist, as if to keep her from running off, as if she would. Tonks's eyes were filled with love as she gazed at Remus, once in a while flickering curiously towards the three on the sofa. Moody was, well, _moody_, as always, but Fred sensed a new softness about him; love, perhaps? He quashed the idea as soon as it formed in his mind's eye; Moody, in love? He'd probably trounce it as some sort of silly fantasy. But then, this new afterlife was full of surprises…

All of a sudden, the redhead squashed between the two raven-haired men turned her gaze to the boy on the floor of her home, red-haired and lanky. "And who are you?" She asked kindly, her green eyes _– Harry's eyes!_ – curious.

"Ah, Mr. Weasley," said a jolly voice from the stairway. The six in the sitting room turned to see Albus Dumbledore gliding from the upstairs, smiling in his own vague way. "Where is the other Mr. Weasley?"

Fred's eyes filled, and he blinked rapidly to get rid of the tears. He opened his mouth to speak, but it was difficult to get the words out. "Not here," he finally muttered gruffly, hoping the emotion and grief in his voice would go unnoticed. Of course, it did not, nor did his last name.

While Dumbledore offered his condolences on being separated from George, Lily Potter's eyes widened. "Weasley?" She said softly. "As in, the Weasleys who took in my Harry?"

Fred turned to the pretty woman who was his friend's – no his _brother's_ – mother, and he smiled. "Yeah, that's us, I suppose. Although, I don't think Harry had much of a choice. Mum made him a Weasley sweater and a few Christmas presents, even before she knew that he and Ron were friends. Harry's our brother," he finished loyally.

Lily got up from the sofa, almost unaware of herself as she reached her hand to stroke Fred's fiery hair, pressing a motherly kiss to his forehead before hugging him. "Oh, you wonderful boy. You magnificent, wonderful boy."

"It was no problem," Fred said uncertainly, feeling a bit confused. Harry was his friend, his brother, in many ways, which had nothing to do with his fame or being orphaned. He didn't deserve the hug; Harry hadn't been a project to make him feel better about himself. "But Harry is my brother. He's a Weasley, too." Fred glanced uncertainly at James. "Though Potters are good, too, I'm sure. I mean, Harry's great." He grinned when the older man beamed. Lily shook her head, overcome with emotion, gave Fred's cheek a final motherly peck, and went back to sit beside her husband.

Dumbledore, however, assessed the sitting situation and decided to take a seat on the floor rug beside Fred. "Hello, Remus, Nymphadora! I assume that after my death, you finally overcame your ridiculous notions, Remus?" He asked with a grin, eyeing the ring on Tonks's left hand.

Remus rolled his eyes, but a smile was plastered to his lips. "Yes, I did, although I had plenty of help. Harry was a big reason that I was there for Teddy's birth, among other things."

It was as if someone had flipped a switch, the mood of the room changed so quickly. It had been fun, with teasing banter and laughter, but now, it was tense, eager and frightened. Harry's name from Remus's lips changed everything, and he sighed, knowing he would have to tell his best friends now. He would have to tell them everything.

"After your death… I was so broken, especially hearing of Sirius's betrayal," Sirius looked ready to defend himself, but Remus waved him down, "Yes, yes, I know you were innocent, Padfoot, but at the time! At the time, we were all suspicious of each other, and when the Daily Prophet put in what Peter said to you before the street erupted… How was I to know that it was the little rat? He was always so pathetic at magic, I never thought…" He drifted off miserably, but shook his head.

"Enough of that. After your deaths, I went a little mad with grief. Always, though, always I went to Godric's hollow on the anniversary of your deaths and paid my respects. I tried to talk to you two, but I don't know if you heard anything…?" He looked up at his friends hopefully.

Lily had tears in her eyes, and she was gripping James's hand tightly. "The letters," she whispered. "The letters that appeared in the desk drawer, James; they were Remus, talking to us! I don't know why I never realized it sooner! Oh, darling Moony, I wish we could have been there for you." She looked downcast for a moment, but then she smiled. "But, of course, you've found someone else to comfort you now." She smiled in a friendly way at Tonks, who returned it.

Remus smiled a small, sad smile, still too immersed in sad, bitter memories, until he reached a light in the darkness. "It wasn't until twelve years later that I can remember something significant in my life to tell you about, and that is when Albus gave me a job at Hogwarts, teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"And a finer teacher we never had," Dumbledore put in kindly, his blue eyes twinkling happily.

Remus smiled humbly. "Thank you, but I am sure that is not true. Anyway, that is when I met Harry again. Oh, James, it was like seeing you again! I can't believe I kept it from him for so long that we were friends when you were alive! But he guessed, hearing me talk about you and Lily after our dementor lessons. You see, when I first saw your son again, he was passed out from dementors on the train to Hogwarts, looking for Sirius. He heard…" Remus's voice faltered, and he blanched. It was only with a reassuring squeeze of the hand from Tonks that he was able to continue. "When the dementors were near him, he heard Lily asking for Voldemort to spare him, to just kill her. He finally heard his mother's voice, and it was her last moments." Remus glanced at his friends, sighing, and added, "Eventually, he heard James, as well. I had to teach him to keep the dementors at bay, and I couldn't refuse his request. I wouldn't be able to suffer through hearing your last moments, and I didn't want him to have to, either.

"He's a remarkable boy," Remus gushed, his eyes shining bright with pride. "As brave as his mother and father, with the courage of a lion. Loyal, too. His friends are wonderful; they stick by him through everything, which I think must be trying sometimes. Your boy has done so much at such a young age, and he's done it humbly, without getting cocky, like a certain Gryffindor boy we can all remember…" Remus trailed off, grinning at James, while the room broke out in giggles.

"Okay, okay, so I was a prat," James conceded with a ridiculously happy grin on his lips. "My son is better than I was. Of course he is; he's my son!"

Sirius laughed. "He thought you were a bit of an idiot, Prongs," he confided, chuckling, remembering when Harry had spoken to himself and Remus through the fireplace about a memory concerning their OWLs.

"Of course he did! I _was_ a bit of an idiot." Lily raised her eyebrows, and James grinned. "Okay, so I was the biggest idiot alive. I grew out of it."

"Luckily," Lily put in cheekily, grinning. "No thanks to these two." She glared playfully at Sirius and Remus, who chuckled affectionately.

Tonks, meanwhile, smiled, listening to her husband reminisce with his friends, and, hopefully, her friends, too. She listened until his voice grew hoarse from talking so much, but he did not stop. His words, so carefully selected, were a comforting rhythm for her to listen to while he talked about the terrible things that had been going on. She perked up when he mentioned Teddy, and the love in his voice made Tonks glow, although it was a little muted. _My poor baby_, she thought sadly.

"He'll be alright, darling," Remus whispered, as if he could read her mind. "Harry will win, and he and your mother will take care of our boy. Teddy will be well taken care of, and he will know we died to protect him from a world more terrible than anything he can imagine. He won't want for anything, I promise you." And Remus knew this to be true; he knew it would be that way when he suggested Harry as godfather. It seemed a good choice, when it was likely that he and Tonks would be murdered, to leave their son in the hands of another orphaned boy. Harry would love Teddy the way the Dursleys never loved him, Remus knew with a certainty that warmed his heart. He just wished he could be there to see it.

The tenseness left the room with the end of Remus's stories. James and Lily were gripping each other's hands tightly, identical masks of worry on their faces, while Sirius had a silly grin on his mouth, knowing his godson would not succumb to death; he was the Chosen One. Harry would survive, Sirius knew, and it made him positively giddy. Moody had left once he knew how the battle was going; Fred was right, he had found love in his old sweetheart, Marlene McKinnon. Dumbledore, who had moved up to the bench Moody previously occupied, was lost in thought, although a smile played at his lips, and Remus and Tonks were curled around each other, praying for the safety of Harry and their son. Fred alone lacked the hopefulness of everyone else in the room; he stared at the sky blue rug, picking at the fringe, an unsettling realization creeping up on him. _He had nowhere to go_. Dumbledore lived here, it seemed, as did Sirius, and surely Remus and Tonks would move in, if they didn't already have a house springing up – but even then, they would stay the night, if only because Remus would want to stay close to his friends. But it was time for goodbyes, and Fred had no one show up for him but Moody. The silence continued, and for Fred, it turned awkward.

"Well, I guess that's my cue, then," Fred said quietly, staring at the ground and shuffling his feet, trying to think of somewhere to go. He wasn't sure he knew many people who were dead, besides his uncle Bilius, but he didn't know if Bilius would have him or not. Or if he could even find Bilius.

"Fred – wait," called James Potter, closely flanked by Sirius and Remus. All three were grinning.

"Sure," Fred agreed, looking up at the three men curiously.

"Well, we were thinking," Remus started, glancing at his friends, as if wondering how to continue.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "We were _thinking_ that with Wormtail gone traitor, we're down to three now, and, honestly, we're pretty fond of even numbers, mate." He winked.

"So, what, you want me to take Lupin off your hands?" Fred joked with a grin of his own.

"Nah, mate," James threw in, chuckling. He put a friendly hand on Fred's shoulder. "We were wondering if you'd like to be our fourth man."


	6. Chapter 6

He was slowly regaining the feeling in his body. The poison from the snake's fangs must have some side effects he did not know of, because he had been sure that there was no numbness, only pain. He knew the pain would set in soon, and he wanted his last thoughts to be of her, but he couldn't get the boy out of his head. After hating him for so long, he could not cope with the knowledge that he had mistreated the last piece of Lily that he had had. He felt a tear slide out of the corner of his eye, but he could care less. The pain of losing his Lily had always been fresh in his mind, but somehow it felt muted now. It wasn't the suffering he was used too, but a realization. What he had felt for her had been true, but he couldn't keep doing this to himself. He had to face the reality – Lily had been his savior as a child, yes, but she was meant to be with Potter.

"Are you having a nice nap, Severus? Shall I come back later?" The amused voice was immediately recognizable, and Severus Snape's thin mouth curved into a small smile.

Gingerly, he cracked open an eye and let out a sigh of relief – he was here. He was home. "Dumbledore," Snape drawled nonchalantly.

Albus Dumbledore chuckled. "Now, Severus, I do think I warrant a warmer response than that."

Snape, finally recalling what he had been so angry with Dumbledore about, raised an eyebrow. "With all of the things you put me through? You had me to believe that we would be protecting the boy, not raising him as a sacrificial lamb!" Snape shuddered. "I did it, though. I gave Potter the memories. I expect we'll be seeing him soon." He leveled his gaze with Dumbledore's, and was shocked to find the old man still chuckling.

"I expect I shall, anyways. If my guess is correct, and you of all people should know that they normally are. Not to be vain," Dumbledore added hastily, smiling. "And when are you going to start calling him by his name? He isn't merely a boy, Severus, you know that. He is the savior of the Wizarding world, and, what I expect is most important to you, he is Lily Evans' son."

Severus Snape sighed. "What I call him does not change the outcome of his decision. You know him as well as I, Albus – he won't hesitate to hand himself over."

"That is correct," Dumbledore said promptly, rather like an affectionate teacher. Irritated at being addressed as if he was a mere schoolboy, Snape scowled. "But, Severus, I may have failed to mention that I do think Harry is a Horcrux. So, when he meets his 'end', as you think it will be, at Voldemort's hand, he will simply lose the fragment of Riddle's soul that has been stuck inside of him for these last sixteen years."

Snape stared at Dumbledore uncomprehendingly. "You knew this the whole time," he croaked, glaring. "You knew, and you let me believe that we had raised him for slaughter."

"Ah, dear Severus, I did not know what the outcome would be, nor do I now. But I have my suspicions." Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled.

"But you know that your suspicions are always correct," Snape hissed, scowling.

Dumbledore smiled. "I wouldn't give myself nearly so much credit, Severus. Even I have been known to be proven wrong."

"You are an evil old man," Severus thundered, scowling at the man to whom he had been indebted to for years. "Even in death, I am not rid of you."

Dumbledore smiled knowingly. "I am here to collect you for something of a rendezvous with Lily Potter." His smile was sad and his blue eyes were a little too understanding for Snape's liking.

Just her name was enough to make his heart skip a beat. He could still recall her face perfectly in his mind's eye, her emerald eyes, the scarlet of her hair, the creamy paleness of her skin… and the man beside her, Potter, whom he had always hated. It felt as if his heart was in his stomach. Lily had not chosen him in life, she would not in death, either. This meeting was a small reward for protecting her son. He was glad to realize that his gift of containing his emotions had remained with him, because he would rather not have Dumbledore know the direction of his thoughts, although Snape had a sneaking suspicion that the old man didn't need to see his facial expressions to know the pain he was experiencing.

"Come along, Severus," Dumbledore murmured. "Lily is willing to overlook your treatment of her son to give you thanks for helping to rescue him."

Severus harrumphed. "He certainly needed rescuing, with all of those stunts he insisted upon getting into." He tried his best to recall his angriest memory of the boy, but all he could picture was the boy's face as he, Snape, lay dying.

Dumbledore agreed softly, smiling. "Yes, he is definitely his parents' son."

Snape made an impatient noise in the back of his throat. "That's not what I meant."

"Is my son so unlike me, Sev?"

Severus Snape swore his heart stopped. Although, he reasoned, since he was dead, he wasn't sure if his heart was actually beating. His internal debate disappeared as he saw the one person he had loved most in the world. "Lily," he breathed.

Lily Potter was perched on a fence, rather like the one they used to meet by when they were children. She patted the spot next to her, smiling serenely. "I'm sorry about your death, Sev."

It seemed so ridiculous that Severus couldn't stop himself from laughing. It was a full-on belly laugh, something that he hadn't experienced since he was a child, and maybe not even then. Lily frowned, but Snape shook his head. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm still getting used to the idea."

Lily nodded. "It takes a bit," she agreed, looking at her lap and twiddling her thumbs. It was silent for a few minutes, but it was a pleasant silence, like the ones they had shared when they were young and daydreamed. Surprisingly, it was Severus who chose to break it. "Lily, I'm so sorry," he blurted, eyes pained. By now, she had to know how he had treated her son, what he had done. He was still unsure of why she decided to meet with him.

Severus expected rage or lashing out, but instead he got a small smile. "You're forgiven." When he opened his mouth to argue with her, Lily held up a finger to silence him. "I don't condone the things you did, or how you acted to my son. But how could I hate you? You gave up your life to keep Harry safe. As far as I'm concerned, that negates your past."

Snape flinched. "That wasn't exactly what I-," but Lily interrupted him, rolling her eyes. "I don't care what your intentions were. The fact is, without you, Harry would probably have died several times. And however happy I would be to see him, he has a good life, and he is doing good things. Things that are possible because you saved him. So please stop trying to blame yourself, because I'm not in the mood to argue with you. Can't we just be friends for a little while?"

Snape didn't have it in him to say one word against it, and they spent the rest of the afternoon like they had as children: laying under the open sky, daydreaming about what could be.

_Sorry for the short chapter, this one has actually taken me a year to write, and I still don't think I got it quite right, but I'd love some reviews to tell me what you thought. (: _


	7. Chapter 7

_ It happened in his sleep: the death of the great Harry Potter. The absence of his presence would be mourned by many; perhaps even the whole Wizarding community. Yet, it was his time. Harry had known this for almost a year now, and he was at peace with it. He had lived a long, full life, long enough to become a great-grandfather thrice. He had lived his life to the fullest extent, and he knew that, despite his children and grandchildren's desperate pleas for him to hold on, it was time for him to go. Harry James Potter died in his bedroom, sleeping peacefully, dreaming of someplace wondrous, where his Ginny, his old friends, and even his parents now lived…_

Suddenly, Harry was not in his bed. He was upright, that much he knew, once he got the feeling back in his feet. Something that he had not felt in a very long time, pure instinct, told him to step forward. As his foot touched what he could only assume was the ground, he felt very differently. Instead of the crippling side-effects that had come with old age, Harry felt positively… _young_. There was no other way to describe it. He finally opened his eyes, and he took in the scene before him, recalling the time he had died previously. This very well could have been King's Cross station, Harry reasoned, for how crowded the place was, but he didn't think so. This trip was unlike the first one in one way: this time, it was his time. He was supposed to die; there would be no 'boarding a train', as his wise old mentor had once put it. It was ridiculous to think that he would come back as a ghost, so Harry assumed that he had gone straight into… well, wherever the dead went when they were gone.

He looked at the people surrounding him – no, they surrounded a circular blue light, the thing that he himself had just vacated – and almost instantly he saw a familiar face, standing there, smiling in that frustratingly adorable way, as if he was late for a previously arranged engagement. "Ginny?" Harry whispered, not daring to believe that he would get his beloved back so easily.

His wife, who had died at the age of eighty-seven, looked as if she was seventeen again, finally coming to terms with Fred's death, when she had agreed to marry him. "I was expecting you," Ginny Potter said simply, walking – no, gliding – towards her husband, stroking his cheek. She glanced behind her, and smiled. "The others are waiting."

Harry, who had been content to drink in the sight of his wife's face forever, suddenly regained his curiosity about this place. He trained his eyes on the point where Ginny had looked back and what he saw there brought tears to his eyes.

Hermione, alone, stood, smiling at her best friend, still waiting for her husband; Fred and George, finally together again, looking younger than he had seen George since Fred's death, both with identical grins on their faces; Tonks, her hair her trademark shade of magenta, hand in hand with Remus Lupin, who looked younger and so much happier than Harry had ever seen him in life, and in beside them stood Harry's godson, now a teenager also, his hair still a bright turquoise; Sirius Black, who grinned and waved; Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, beaming, who seemed to have chosen to stay the age they were when Harry had met them; and, finally, he saw the couple whom he had no real, live memories of, but whom he loved with a fierceness that rivaled only their love for him. Lily and James Potter stood back, tears in their eyes at the sudden appearance of their son, but allowing him to be collected by his wife.

Harry yearned to go to them with his whole being, but he first looked into Ginny's eyes. "Is this real?" He whispered quietly, for her ears alone; he could not have anyone else knowing of his fear to believe in what would make him the happiest he had ever been. At Ginny's nod, he took her hand and they ran into the horde of loved ones, rejoicing. And despite the loving life he had led on Earth, he could not help but think: _finally, I'm home_.


End file.
